Dead Space: Martyr is a 2010 science fiction novel by B.K. Evenson. The novel delves into the origins of the Church of Unitology and the mysterious Black Marker in the Dead Space universe.. The story revolves around geophysicist Michael Altman as he investigates the source of a mysterious signal and uncovers a strange alien artifact. The narrative then goes on to focus on how Altman's actions led to his own unwilling "martyrdom," the origin of the Red Marker, and the subsequent birth of the Church of Unitology.